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2010 NFL Draft Saints Revisited

Though we'd revisit the 2010 NFL Draft this week...

Saints were coming off their First SuperBowl Trophy; as such, were restricted by NFL rules in free agents that could be signed as replacements to those exiting via Free Agency...

Saints primary needs were 43 Defensive Linemen, Outside Linebackers, and Offensive Linemen...

We let Scott Fujita geaux to the Browns; who made us pay for that shortly thereafter...

R1 (32) CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State; considered a steal at the time of his selection; analysts were surprised he fell as far as he had; looks like many teams got it right in hindsight; Many expected the Saints to take TCU's OLB/DE Jerry Hughes, but he was selected by the Colts just before the Saints picked; Still on the board:

OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana (Rams)
TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona (Patriots)
OL Zane Beadles, Utah (Broncos)
LB Daryl Washington, TCU (Cardinals)

R2 (64) OT Charles Brown, USC; considered an even bigger steal than their first round pick and meeting a need; analysts were beginning to cry that the Saints couldn't win the Superbowl and get two major steals in the draft, could they? Coming from a rich tradition of offensive linemen at USC, Brown has barely played due to his fragility and again, many teams did their homework passing on this guy; the Colts had again took a linebacker Pat Angerer just before the Saints; Still on the board:

DB Major Wright, Florida (Bears)
WR Eric Decker, Minnesota (Broncos)
LB NaVorro Bowman, Penn State (49ers)

R3 (95) TE Jimmy Graham, Univ of Miami (FL); alot of oohs and aahs with this pick; analysts jabbed the Saints for reaching and risking so much with such a high pick; well by training camp, Saints coaches and fans knew they may have gotten the best pick of the draft; if health and humility stay with him and he gets a two-way contract for he and the Saints, this guy will be a Hall of Famer; Still on the board:

TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida (Patriots, released, facing major prison lovemaking time)

R4 (125) DL Al Woods, LSU; Saints traded up with the Cardinals to get this pick that Arizona had acquired from the Ravens; local Saints fans were excited as this guy had met a need and was a local; was the first disappointment of this draft to be released; the Saints could have stayed where they were and selected from:

DB Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech (Seahawks)

R5 (158) OL Matt Tenant, Boston College; was consider a value pick and expected to be yet another great mid-round offensive line pick by the Saints; considered slightly undersized, Tenant never gained the necessary bulk nor adapted to the Saints blocking schemes and was made expendable when the Saints acquired Eric Olsen; Still on the Board:

WR Riley Cooper, Florida (Eagles)
S Reshad Jones, Georgia (Dolphins)
OT Marshall Newhouse, TCU (Packers)

R7 (239) QB Sean Canfield, Oregon State; the last pick of the draft before the compensatory picks, he was considered a project; he floated on and off from the Practice Squad for a couple of years before finally given his release; Still available:

WR Antonio Brown, Central Michigan (Steelers)
KR Trindon Holiday, LSU (Texans, now Broncos)
RB James Starks, Buffalo (Packers)

The Saints fared well with their Rookie Free Agent Signings:

UDFA DE/LB Junior Galette, Stillman
UDFA RB Chris Ivory, Tiffin

Though Other Notable Rookie Free Agent Signings:

WR Victor Cruz, UMass (Giants)
WR Danario Alexander, Missouri (Rams, Chargers)
RB LeGarrette Blount, Oregon (Bucs, Patriots)
RB Joique Bell, Wayne State (Signed by Bills, Eagles, Colts, Eagles, then acquired by Saints, now Lions)

Well, thought this would make for some interesting online conversation, and a little bit of "what might have been..."